The season started a couple of weeks ago, and the Fever’s home opener allowed fans to see new head coach Stephanie White, who moved up from assistant coach after coach Lyn Dunn retired.
White is making some changes in the team’s offensive and defensive play. A lot of the players compete in foreign leagues during the WNBA’s offseason.
White had to start the season without one of her better players, Shavonte Zellous, whose overseas team was involved in playoffs. White also missed team leader Tamika Catchings, who was sidelined with a sore knee. With those two players absent from the line-up, White didn’t get her first home win that evening.
The second home game was a different story as Zellous and Catching were available to play and helped lead their team to victory.
During the first home game I got to scratch something off of my bucket list. Now granted I had only added this to my list a few days prior – but that’s OK. Lyn and I had the opportunity to participate in a challenge at Bankers Life Fieldhouse to a set a Guinness World Record for the most glow sticks burning at once.
Just before tip-off the fieldhouse lights were dimmed, and everyone who had been given a glow stick was instructed to light theirs.
Officials were positioned in each section of the building and made a count. We were later informed that our 3,712 glowing sticks smashed the previously record of 800.
At halftime I noticed former Fever player Tully Bevilaqua (2005-10) working her way down the aisle toward our seats. She played basketball from 1991 to 2012 in the United States and her home country of Australia. She now lives in Indianapolis and operates a gym.
Several years ago I ran across an online photo of her with her two dogs, one of them looks like Stuart, my therapy dog. I showed the picture to Lyn, who asked, “How does Tully know Stuart?” I had shared a picture of Stuart with Tully on Facebook.
When Tully had worked her way down to our seats, I asked her if she remembered the Facebook contact and the similarities between Chips and Stuart. She did, and we once again laughed. I’m going to take Stuart up to Tully’s Gym one of these days so the dogs can meet.